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#38 Kansas Jayhawks
Big 12
2004-05: 23-7, 12-4, 1st
2004-05 postseason:
NCAA
By
Joel Welser
Kansas always reloads, but
Coach Bill Self loses an incredible amount of talent from a team
that ended last year disappointed with a first round loss in the
NCAA Tournament.
Who’s Out:
Wayne Simien, Keith Langford and Aaron Miles were all starters
as seniors last year. Simien averaged a team high 20.3 points
and 11.0 rebounds. Langford tacked on 14.4 points and Miles had
a team high 7.2 assists. As if that wasn’t enough fellow starter
J.R. Giddens is transferring to New Mexico after averaging 10.1
points as a sophomore. Michael Lee was usually the first man off
the bench and averaged 4.8 points per game. Alex Galindo proved
to be a solid big man off the bench but has transferred from
Kansas. Nick Bahe is headed to Creighton after seeing limited
action in 11 contests. Moulaye Niang has ended his basketball
career after suffering from a series of injuries.
Who’s In:
Luckily for the Jayhawks, there is
a nice group of newcomers that will make the team surprisingly
deep considering the mass exodus that has taken place. Mario
Chalmers is expected to run the point from day one. The
Anchorage, Alaska native has a tremendous shot, great vision and
some quality leadership traits on the floor. After a well
publicized recruitment, Brandon Rush ended up at Kansas. Rush is
insanely athletic and should be starting. Micah Downs is a long
and slender small forward. He has a nice stroke from long range
and is a solid shot blocker. Julian Wright, amazingly, might be
the best of the bunch. The 6-8 Chicago product can play anywhere
from point guard to power forward and that versatility will give
him plenty of chances to earn a starting gig. Rodrick Stewart, a
transfer from USC, will be eligible to play after the first
semester. Stewart is another quick and athletic wing who will
see quality minutes once he is eligible. Matt Kleinmann, an
invited walk-on, redshirted last year. The 6-10 center will
provide some emergency depth to the frontcourt. Jeremy Case
redshirted last year after averaging 1.2 points and 0.4 assists
in 2003-2004 for the Jayhawks.
Who to Watch:
Christian Moody is the only
returning starter, yet his former job isn’t even secure. Besides
the stellar newcomers, the emergence of Russell Robinson might
be the most exciting thing to watch this year. Robinson was the
backup point guard last year but can play either guard spot.
He’s a tremendous scorer and a solid ball handler, but barely
averaged ten minutes per game last year due the seniors in front
of him. The New York, New York product averaged 3.5 points per
game last season, however this year will be the coming out party
for Mr. Robinson.
Projected
Conference Rank:
The talent is amazing, but Kansas
is too young to have high expectations. By March the Jayhawks
could be dangerous, but a 6th place finish in the Big
12 wouldn’t be surprising. Sasha Kaun and C.J. Giles will share
minutes at center and newcomer Julian Wright could end up
starting at power forward, so there are plenty of options for
Coach Self if the Jayhawks struggle.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
NCAA
Projected Starting
Five:
Mario Chalmers,
Freshman, Guard, DNP last season
Russell Robinson,
Sophomore, Guard, 3.5 points per game
Brandon Rush,
Freshman, Guard, DNP last season
Christian Moody,
Senior, Forward, 5.8 points per game
Sasha Kaun, Sophomore,
Forward, 2.6 points per game
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